A New Life, Interrupted
by Ace Bullets
Summary: UNEXPECTED UPDATE! Originally written as a tag to 'A New Life'; now includes a tag for 'Keep the Peace'. Greg writes a couple letters to a newlywed couple. Part I is a letter to Donna, and Part II is to Hank. Major spoilers, obviously, for 'A New Life' and 'Keep the Peace'.
1. A New Life Interrupted

**A/N: Damn plot bunny. Only this one hatched in the unlikeliest of places. Sometimes I think I take RPing way too seriously...**

**Yeah, so SPOILERS for "A NEW LIFE" yada-yada. Greg writes a short letter to Donna Sabine in the aftermath of the wreck of a wedding day she had.  
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><p><strong>A New Life... Interrupted<strong>

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><p>Dear Donna,<p>

When you're on the job this long, you inevitably make mortal enemies. It's an occupational hazard. But that enemy is usually a threat from without, not from within. We consider as _family_ those people we work with so closely, don't we? We're not ever just co-workers or colleagues when we trust each other with our lives and our secrets.

I'm deeply sorry you had to suffer such a devastating betrayal from someone you thought of as a member of the family, Donna, especially on what was supposed to be a most joyous occasion for you and Hank.

Thank you for letting us be there for you; to bring you back from that edge. You could have crossed the line and fallen, but you didn't. My faith in you never wavered.

Bill _is_ going to face justice for what he's done, but _your_ hands are clean. Don't ever blame yourself for his downfall. He made his choices. You can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped, and he pushed you and everyone else away. You know this.

Ida Logan and her henchmen are in custody, and we're going to make sure they stay that way.

We're all very thankful that Hank is going to pull through. Be with him. Enjoy your honeymoon. And after four weeks of mind-numbing boredom (well, okay, I'm sure _some_ things won't be boring), maybe we can convince you not to retire just yet. I recruited you to the SRU, and it would be a damn shame to lose you so soon.

Just think about it, okay?

Your new life doesn't have to exclude _this_ family.

Sincerely,

Sgt. Greg Parker,

SRU Team One


	2. A New Life Concluded

**A/N: So, I never expected to do a follow-up to this piece, but... The finale of the Show sort of made it necessary. Spoilers for 'Keep the Peace'. If you're the type who doesn't like to be spoiled before seeing the episodes in question, you may stop reading right here and stow for a later date...**

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><p><strong>A recuperating Greg Parker writes a letter to Donna's widower, Hank Gerald, in the aftermath of that day of infamy. 'Keep the Peace' probably took place a little over a year after Hank and Donna got married. (By my estimation, their wedding date was June 17th, 2011.)<strong>

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><p><strong>A New Life... Concluded<strong>

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><p>Dear Hank,<p>

Words can't begin to describe the depths of my sorrow. My heart is in pieces. I'm sorry I can't be there for you right now; that my injuries will prevent me from attending Donna's funeral.

I wish I could be there to add my voice to the litany of praise and commendation that will surely be showered upon her. Please know that when those words of acclaim come that they're not mere platitudes that are so commonplace when we honour a loved one's passing. Each and every tribute that will be paid to Donna's memory is richly deserved.

You don't need me to tell you that she was an amazing woman; the SRU was richly blessed to have her. She was an exceptional officer, brave and compassionate, dedicated to the highest ideals represented by the uniform she wore and the badge she carried for twenty-one years.

I remember clearly the day I recruited Donna to the SRU when Team One was down a member. She was eager and willing to do her best; ready to keep the peace. Everyone instantly saw how special she was; knew that she possessed the skills and strength to make the jump from Vice, though she would have done well anywhere she went on the force. She could have been relegated to a simple placeholder until Constable Callaghan resumed her duties, but that wasn't Donna's style. She brought to the SRU a spirit and confidence that made us a better unit, ensuring she would always have a place with us.

Team Three thrived under her leadership, a testament to her personal dedication to excellence in a profession that is always so demanding. She was more than just a Team Leader; she was a nurturer and teacher, building up a group of officers to be the best they could be. She is irreplaceable.

I want you to know the full truth of what happened that day, because you deserve to know of Donna's bravery. It was on my orders that Team Three went out to the Casey Jeffers Building at Brookfield that afternoon. We had uncovered intel that pointed to that building as being a possible target, and Team Three was geographically the one nearest to Brookfield.

When they arrived at approximately 2:20 PM, Donna identified there one Anson Holt, an individual we suspected at that time of being the mastermind behind the acts of terrorism. I advised her that due to the extreme urgency of the situation that there was no time for kid gloves when dealing with the suspect. Team Three entered Lab number 2 and found that Holt was primed with an M112 demolition charge, which implied some sort of suicide mission. Despite Donna's best efforts at obtaining the information, Holt remained uncommunicative about the location of the remaining bombs. Her search for a detonator was equally fruitless. Too late, we realised that Holt was not the bomber. Before Donna and Constable James Gallagher could vacate the premises, Marcus Faber - the actual bomber - remotely detonated the C4 charges.

I know it's no consolation, but you should know that Donna did not suffer. I was assured by Captain Barry Steele of the Toronto Fire Department that it was all over in a second. You also need to know that while her death may seem a pointless and egregious injustice, it was _not_ in vain. After that bomb went off, I rushed into that building, hoping against hope that Donna and Jimmy were somehow okay. In doing so, I unwittingly exposed myself to the potentially deadly radiation from the dirty bomb Faber had manufactured. As a result, I had to be taken to the emergency triage centre at Fletcher Stadium to scrub down and be treated.

As you know, it was there at Fletcher Stadium that Faber set his final dirty bomb. Had I not been there; had I not been exposed to the radiation at Casey Jeffers, we would never have found that bomb in time. Countless other lives would have been lost; still untold numbers throughout the entire city would have been exposed to the fallout.

Donna's sacrifice meant that that madman's twisted mission did not succeed. You see, she was much more than just another member of the Toronto Police Service, Hank. I loved her as a sister and trusted colleague, the same as I love my own team. I would not have run into that bombed-out building for anyone else but my own. Because I loved her, I lost all rational thought, wanting to believe that she was strong enough and lucky enough to have made it through that blast. I wanted to believe that she was too good, too young, and too special to be taken from us like that. But it does take someone very special and very courageous to walk that line every day, knowing that at any given moment, she might be expected to give her life for the sake of others.

Hank, I want to recognize that Donna's sacrifice wasn't just her own: it was yours, too. You were her husband. You married her knowing that the possibility existed that one day, she might not come home to you. Yet, I know that you supported her from the first day to the last; encouraged her and loved her through all the late shifts, early mornings, interruptions, emergency calls, and missed dates. You loved her and let her go out to do her job, in spite of all the risks. Because of that, this city is a safer place, and I thank you.

Donna had the heart of a lioness, Hank, and the moment that heart stopped beating, our world truly lost one of its finest.

Please accept my sincerest condolences, and the hope that you will forgive me for giving the order that sent Donna to that building where she gave it all up for the lives of the people of this city. I will miss her dearly; indeed, I already do. We mourn with you and weep with you, because our hearts are also in such pain.

The responsibility lies with us, now, to continue her legacy of exemplary service. Know that Donna's sacrifice will never be forgotten, because we will carry her memory with us for the rest of our lives.

Sincerely,

Sgt. Gregory Parker,

SRU Team One

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><p><strong>END<strong>


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